How to cut letters out of wood

Written by jonah morrissey

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You could assemble your name with wooden letters. (StockPhotoAstur/iStock/Getty Images)

Wooden letters add character and value to many projects. Traditional wooden signs often include wooden letters. Many contemporary home stores sell wooden letters to serve as decorations for walls, shelves, and shadow boxes. You can personalise children's furniture by adding wooden letters to it. Children's toys can be made educational by adding wooden letters into the design. You can make your letters in any size and style to fit your next project idea.

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Things you need

Scroll saw

Wood

Safety glasses

Letter patterns

Pencil

120-grit sandpaper

Wood finish

Drill

Drill bit, 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) larger than scroll saw blade

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Instructions

1

Place the letter pattern on the wood in the spot that you want to cut out. Use the pencil to trace the outside edge of the pattern to create the outline of the letter you wish to cut out.

2

Place the wood on the table of the scroll saw. Adjust the height of the blade guard according to the saw manual.

3

Turn on the saw prior to placing the wood against the blade. When the blade is at full speed, slowly begin to feed the wood toward the pencil marking of the outline.

4

Follow the outline of the letter as you feed the wood gradually at the same rate that it cuts. Never force the wood into the blade faster than it is cutting.

5

Some letters may require a centre area to be cut out. Once the outline is cut, drill a hole that is 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) larger than the scroll saw blade through the area of the letter that needs to be removed.

6

Remove the blade according to the saw manual. Place the blade through the hole in the area of the letter that needs to be removed and reattach the blade.

7

Make sure the blade is not in contact with the wood. Turn on the saw, allowing the blade to reach full speed.

8

Feed the wood into the blade following the outline of the area that needs to be removed until the complete outline has been cut.

9

Detach the blade according to the saw manual. Remove the letter from the blade. Re-attach the blade.

10

Lightly sand the entire letter with 120-grit sandpaper.

11

Apply wood finish according to the instructions on the finish container.